Effects of Hyul-Bu-Chuke-Tang on Erythrocyte Deformability and Cerebrovascular CO2 Reactivity in Normal Subjects

Aim. Hyul-bu-chuke-tang (HCEt) is a well-known traditional herbal medicine that is used for the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disorders. We investigated the acute effects of HCEt on erythrocyte deformability and cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity (CVR) in healthy male subjects. Materials and Methods. We examined erythrocyte deformability in an HCEt group (n = 14) and a control group (n = 10). CVR was measured using hyperventilation-induced CO2 reactivity of the middle cerebral artery and transcranial Doppler (TCD) in the HCEt group (n = 11). A historical control group (n = 10) of CVR measurements was also created from our previous study. All measurements were performed prior to and 1, 2, and 3 hours after HCEt administration. Results. HCEt significantly improved erythrocyte deformability 1 hour after administration compared to the control group (2.9 ± 1.1% versus −0.6 ± 1.0%, P = 0.034). HCEt significantly improved the CVR 2 hours after administration compared to the historical control group (9.1 ± 4.0% versus −8.1 ± 4.1%, P = 0.007). The mean blood pressure and pulse rate did not vary from baseline values in either group. Conclusions. We demonstrated that HCEt improved erythrocyte deformability and CVR. Our findings suggest that an improvement in erythrocyte deformability contributes to HCEt's effect on cerebral microcirculation

Isolated Weakness of Middle, Ring, and Little Fingers due to a Small Cortical Infarction in the Medial Precentral Gyrus

Small cortical strokes can produce predominant isolated weakness in a particular group of fingers: radial or ulnar. The traditional views are of point-to-point representations of each finger to neurons located in the precentral gyrus of the motor cortex such that the neurons of the radial fingers are located laterally and those of the ulnar fingers are located medially. We present a case of isolated weakness of middle, ring, and little fingers due to a small cortical infarction in the medial precentral gyrus

Characterization of Developmental- and Stress-Mediated Expression of Cinnamoyl-CoA Reductase in Kenaf ( Hibiscus cannabinus

Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) is an important enzyme for lignin biosynthesis as it catalyzes the first specific committed step in monolignol biosynthesis. We have cloned a full length coding sequence of CCR from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), which contains a 1,020-bp open reading frame (ORF), encoding 339 amino acids of 37.37 kDa, with an isoelectric point (pI) of 6.27 (JX524276, HcCCR2). BLAST result found that it has high homology with other plant CCR orthologs. Multiple alignment with other plant CCR sequences showed that it contains two highly conserved motifs: NAD(P) binding domain (VTGAGGFIASWMVKLLLEKGY) at N-terminal and probable catalytic domain (NWYCYGK). According to phylogenetic analysis, it was closely related to CCR sequences of Gossypium hirsutum (ACQ59094) and Populus trichocarpa (CAC07424). HcCCR2 showed ubiquitous expression in various kenaf tissues and the highest expression was detected in mature flower. HcCCR2 was expressed differentially in response to various stresses, and the highest expression was observed by drought and NaCl treatments

A Case of Pulmonary Paragonimiasis with Involvement of the Abdominal Muscle in a 9-Year-Old Girl

In Korea, many people enjoy eating raw or underkooked freshwater crayfish and crabs which unfortunately may cause paragonimiasis. Here, we describe a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a 9-year-old girl, who presented with a 1-month history of abdominal pain, especially in the right flank and the right inguinal area, with anorexia. A chest radiograph revealed pleural effusion in both lungs, and her abdominal sonography indicated an inflammatory lesion in the right psoas muscle. Peripheral blood analysis of the patient showed hypereosinophilia (66.0%) and an elevated total serum IgE level (>2,500 IU/ml). The pleural effusion tested by ELISA were also positive for antibodies against paragonimiasis. Her dietary history stated that she had ingested raw freshwater crab, 4 months previously. The diagnosis was pulmonary paragonimiasis accompanied by abdominal muscle involvement. She was improved after 5 cycles of praziquantel treatment and 2 times of pleural effusion drainage. In conclusion, herein, we report a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a girl who presented with abdominal pain and tenderness in the inguinal area

Micro multi-nozzle jet coating of organic thin film for organic light-emitting diode lighting devices

Abstract Uniform deposition across large areas of an organic layer is one of the challenges for the industrial application of solution-based organic light‐emitting diode (OLED). In this paper, we propose an organic thin film deposition method for OLED using a micro multi-nozzle jet coating process. The developed micro multi-nozzle jet head consists of eighteen nozzles (100μm diameter), a side suction line, inlets, and a nozzle protection outer hole. To demonstrate organic thin film deposition for OLED lighting device fabrication, a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) solution was used as a hole injection layer (HIL). Thickness uniformity of the PEDOT:PSS thin film was analyzed by regulating the jetting pressure. Through single-path coating of twelve successive stable column-jet flows, PEDOT:PSS organic film of 26mm width was coated on an ITO substrate at 1m/s head speed. The PEDOT:PSS thin film of 24.25 ± 1.55nm (CV = 6.39%) thickness was obtained by the proposed coating method. For the feasibility test, OLED lighting devices with emission areas of 20mm × 20mm and 70mm × 70mm were successfully fabricated using PEDOT:PSS films deposited by a micro multi-nozzle jet coating method

Intramural gallbladder hematoma mimicking gallbladder neoplasm in a 55-year-old male patient

Hemorrhage in the gallbladder (GB) is usually associated with cholecystitis, GB neoplasm, trauma, hemobilia, and cystic artery aneurysm. Our patient had not experienced any previous abdominal trauma, and GB hemorrhage was unlikely to result from cholecystitis or bleeding diathesis. A 55-year-old male was admitted because of right upper quadrant pain. Both prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time were normal. Abdominal computed tomography, endoscopic ultrasound and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography were performed. Image studies revealed GB wall thickening and an intraluminal mass. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed. Upon opening the GB postoperatively, a large amount of fresh blood and old blood clot was noted. The incidence of GB hematoma is very rare. GB hematoma should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of GB tumor. In such a situation, surgical intervention is needed for further patient evaluation and management. We present a rare case of intramural GB hematoma, of which we were unable to make a definitive diagnosis preoperatively

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Compatibility of the Polymer-based Cochlear Implant

ObjectivesIn this study, we compared the magnetic resonance (MR) image artifacts caused by a conventional metal-based cochlear implant and a newly developed liquid crystal polymer (LCP)-based device.MethodsThe metal-based cochlear implant system (Nurobiosys Co.) was attached to side of the head of a subject and the LCP-based device was attached to opposite side. In both devices, alignment magnets were removed for safety. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on a widely used 3.0 T and an ultra-high 7.0 T MRI machine. 3.0 and 7.0 T MR images were acquired using T1- and T2*-weighted gradient echo sequences, respectively.ResultsIn the 3.0 T images, the metal-based device on the left side generated the significant amount of artifacts. The MR images in the proximity of the metal package were obscured by the artifacts in both axial and sagittal views. On the other hand, the MR images near the LCP-based device were relatively free from the artifacts and clearly showed the brain structures. 7.0 T MR images showed the more severe distortion in the both sides but the metal-based cochlear implant system caused a much larger obscure area than the LCP-based system.ConclusionThe novel LCP-based cochlear implant provides a good MRI compatibility beyond present-day cochlear implants. Thus, MR images can be obtained from the subjects even with the implanted LCP-based neural prosthetic systems providing useful diagnostic information. Furthermore, it will be also useful for functional MRI studies of the auditory perception mechanism after cochlear implantations as well as for positron emission tomography-MRI hybrid imaging